Kings at Clippers
DeMarcus Cousins was a force in back-to-back wins over the Phoenix Suns this week but will get a much stiffer test on Saturday, when the Sacramento Kings visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Cousins posted a double-double in each of the two victories and is turning his flashes of brilliance into consistent production. The Clippers boast the most consistent performer in the NBA at the moment in Chris Paul, who is the first person in history to record a double-double in the first 13 games.
Paul is not only the best distributor in the league but is capable of taking over games by himself if necessary, like when he scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter during a win at Minnesota on Wednesday. Paul put up 17 points and 12 assists on Thursday as well but it wasn’t enough as Los Angeles ran out of gas on the second night of a back-to-back at Oklahoma City. “So far we’ve had a tough schedule,” Paul said. “We won a few here and lost a few there, but we still feel good about what we bring.”
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KINGS (4-7): Cousins had his way with a Phoenix squad lacking the bulk to counter him in the interior, going for 27 and 12 in a 107-104 home win on Tuesday and shaking off a rough shooting night by bulling his way to the line 15 times in a 113-106 triumph the next night. In order to give Cousins a little more room on the inside, Sacramento is giving Jimmer Fredette more minutes as the backup to rookie shooting guard Ben McLemore. “It’s not rocket science,” coach Mike Malone said. “We want one of our better shooters in the game.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (8-5): Cousins went for 24 points and 10 rebounds in a Nov. 1 meeting with Los Angeles but was outplayed by the tandem of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who combined for 28 points and 25 boards in the 110-101 victory. Griffin is enjoying a string of six straight double-doubles and has shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of the last 10 games thanks to an improved outside shot and the easy setups from Paul. Griffin had 27 points on 12-of-23 shooting on Thursday but the Clippers still suffered a 105-91 loss in Oklahoma City - marking their second-lowest point total of the season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Los Angeles has taken seven of the last eight in the series and won the last three at home by an average of 20.7 points.
2. Clippers F Matt Barnes (retinal surgery) will miss the game.
3. Sacramento PG Isaiah Thomas is 10-for-20 from 3-point range over the last five games.